Literacy Program Needs Decision From Martinez

There was a time in America when a strong back was all you needed to earn a living.

Then, men who could swing a sledgehammer or handle a shovel could always find work.

But times are changing.

And in this increasingly complex world, the jobs that required a strong back and little else are disappearing. Machines dig the trenches now and do the other bull work strong men once did.

The workplace, even the outdoor workplace, has become increasingly sophisticated, increasingly complex. As a result, the ability to read has become almost a prerequisite for employment.

Unfortunately, in America, a lot of people either can`t read or can`t read beyond a third or fourth-grade level.

And more and more of them are finding themselves unable to either get or keep a job.

That fact has become increasingly apparent to labor officials in both Washington and Tallahassee. Because of that, plans have been laid to involve local Job Service offices in a major campaign to teach America`s unemployed to read.

`EVERYTHING JUST STOPPED`

But in Florida, that campaign has stalled.

``We were getting geared up, and suddenly, everything just stopped,`` one Job Service staff member said.

The reason? Job Service workers in both Palm Beach and Broward counties say it can be traced to the uncertainty surrounding the new governor`s budget policies.

When Bob Martinez campaigned for the state`s chief executive position, he told voters he would trim a lot of fat from Florida`s budget.

As a result, Job Service workers are uncertain where Martinez might make his cuts and are hesitant to start something they may not be able to finish.

``It would be senseless to get something rolling and build up people`s hopes if the new governor is going to take an ax to it in January,`` one Broward County Job Service staffer said. ``Not only senseless, it would be cruel.``

She`s right.

And because of that, I believe Martinez must begin letting various departments know where he stands on certain programs.

I don`t want to sound as if I`m rushing Martinez into any major policy decisions. But anyone who takes over a state government must be prepared, must be well-organized enough, to begin letting key departments know what his policies are going to be within a week of winning the election.

If he does not, those departments can spend weeks frozen in inactivity while precious money is wasted paying people for not working.

No businessman would consider that a sound policy.

WORKERS ARE POISED TO BEGIN

Job Service workers say it would actually take little more than a word from Martinez to get the literacy program rolling.

Those workers say they were flooded with materials from Washington and Tallahassee when the program was first being talked about. Because of that, they are already familiar with it, and if Martinez would give them the go- ahead, they could begin making employer contacts and discussing ways to implement the program.

``We were told to cooperate with any employers who wanted to get involved in this program,`` one Job Service worker said. ``We`re still ready to do that, but everything just seems to have slid to a stop.``

Time is money. That`s especially true in the public sector where bureaucratic wheels turn more slowly than in the private sector. Because of that, Martinez must advise key departments where he stands.